eBooks

Once upon a time I had a huge collection of books that took up most of the room in my house. As I was a college professor at the time, I used to joke that it was how academics mark their territory. But that has changed for me. I now purchase eBooks almost exclusively because of the convenience. On my ultra-portable personal computer known as a cell phone, I carry around 100 books at any one time. Some are for reference, some for pleasure reading, but the main thing is that I always have my cell phone, so I always have books with me. And that is the key. I used to plan ahead if I knew I would spend time waiting somewhere (airports, anyone), but what about the unplanned speed bumps on the road of life? Now any time I am put in a position of having to wait I just pull out my phone and I’m ready to go.

I also have a Nook Color that I have rooted and installed Cyanogen mod on, which lets me access all kinds of stuff via WiFi. But it is not something I carry with me everywhere. I would certainly take it with me to the airport, but it does not work as well for those spontaneous occasions when I just need to pull out a book and keep myself occupied. Fortunately the major online booksellers have applications that synchronize your place in a book across various devices and even your personal computer.

Because I am such a big fan of eBooks, I wrote a couple of articles for an online magazine called Full Circle that explained how to find software for reading eBooks and where to buy them. Since this magazine is affiliated (loosely) with Ubuntu Linux, my focus was on Linux solutions, but most of the things I discuss are completely cross-platform so anyone can benefit.

Note: This article originally ran as a cover story in Full Circle Magazine Issue #47, March, 2011. I have become quite a fan of E-books. They have a number of great advantages: they are generally cheaper (in some cases free), they don’t take up space , and are highly portable. Right now I am …

Note: This article was originally published in Full Circle Magazine Issue #48, April, 2011. When you are looking for E-books, there are a number of factors you should take into account: reader device, formats, DRM, and price are some that I intend to cover in this article. Readers The first decision you need to make …